Laundry drying machine having plural compartments and a central air tube



R. GOULD June 15, 1948.

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,c ORN Y Patented June 15, 1948 LAUNDRY narmo MACHINE HAVING PLURAL COMPARTMENTS AND A can- TRAL AIR TUBE Edward R. Gould. Philadelphia, Pa.

Application November 26, 1946, Serial No. 712,467

The present invention relates to laundry machines and more particularly to a novel machine for drying the saturated goods placed therein.

In the machines of this character heretofore in use it has been customary to initially remove the major portion of the saturation from the goods by using a centrifugal machine and thereafter transferring the partially dried goods to a hot'air drying machine for complete drying. These latter machines generally inject heated air at or near the inner periphery of the shell or outer tank so that not only is considerable time lost while the air attempts to thoroughly penetrate the load, but also considerable air fails to contact the load at all owing to the substantially free channel near the circumference which leads to the discharge. In some drying machines attempts to overcome these disadvantages by forcing air into and out of the shaft of the drum into contact with the load, but these have been found impractical because the open compartment surrounding the shaft causes the goods forming the load to become entangled with the shaft and wind around thereon to damage the goods, as well as making removal from the machine very difficult. Furthermore, in such shaft air supply means the parts have to be of massive design to carry. any reasonable-load and to resist the pounding and torque of a heavily loaded machine. It can readily be seen that to handle loads of several hundred to several thousand pounds the cost and required weight-of parts are almost prohibitive.

are: to provide an improved drying machine wherein the foregoing disadvantages of prior machines is overcome; to provide a drying machine wherein both saturation removal and final drying can be carried out; to provide a drying machine wherein relative light parts are so assembled and arranged that torque strains are reduced to a minimum: to provide a drying machine wherein the load is divided in small masses such that pounding action is eilectively distributed: to pro vide a novel shaft construction, wherein means are included to prevent the load from becoming entangled with moving parts; to provide a drying machine wherein heated air has free access to the load without clogging the desired circulation thereof; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section partly broken away of a drying machine embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a section on Claims. (Cl. 34-109) line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 represents a detail in section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing. one form of the present invention comprises an outer cylinder ll fixedly supported and having a longitudinally disposed access opening l2 arranged to be opened and closed by an arcuate door l3, which latter is'journalled on an axially disposed shaft I4 for free manual swinging action. This cylinder Ii is of usual two part construction with its sections bolted together, as will be understood.

For mounting a perforated load-receiving cylindrical shell Iii within the cylinder ill, two partitions l6 and lldivide the interior of the cylinder Ii into a shell-receiving compartment i8, and two end compartments 20 and 2|, these latter respectively being centrally apertured to respectively form journals for two outwardly disposed tubular trunnions 22 and 23 of spider form, having hubs 24 respectively keyed to the shaft l4 to rotate therewith. The radial spider arms 25 of the trunion 22 form passages 28 communicating at one end with a coaxial opening in one end of the shell l3, and at the other end with a closed chamber 28 having an outlet leading to a conduit 3| connected to either a source of heated air under pressure or to an exhaust, depending upon the direction of the circulation. The trunnion 23 is similarly arranged at the other end of the shell I5 but communicates at its outer end with a closed chamber 32 having an outlet 33 leading to a conduit 34 connected to a source of heater air under pressure or to an exhaust, depending upon the direction of the circulation. Both the trunnions 22 and 23 are circumferentially bolted or otherwise attached to the ends of theshell It, as shown at'34 and 35.

The periphery of the shell I! is perforated for free passage of air or water and has an access opening 38 arranged to be opened and closed by an arcuate door 3l also of perforated construction. The door 31 is carried by end quadrants 33 which are respectively Journalled on the trunnions 22 and 23 for free swinging movement.

In order to introduce heated air into the load while preventing the latter from becoming entwo flanged segments arranged in opposed relation to receive between them two perforated radial screens 4|, which are clamped between two journaled at its ends respectively in bearings carried by standards 44 and 45 These bearings are located in the respective compartments 20 and II and are therefore completely separated from contact with water and air to thereby give long life. Also, the driven gear 48 for the shaft [4 is located in one of these compartments, being here shown in compartment 2i and driven from an exterior source of power (not shown) by means of pinion 41. A valve pipe 48 communicates with the interior of the cylinder l I for drain purposes. For completing the circulation of heated air, a duct 50 enters the cylinder II at a convenient location and communicates with the interior thereof, while its outer end leads to a source of supply or to an exhaust fan according to the direction of the circulation. Thus, heated air can traverse the conduits 3| and 34, the trunnions 22 and 23, the perforated tube 40, the shell ll, cylinder II, and conduit 50, thereby completely penetrating the load in the two screenseparated chambers of the shell l5.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary laundry machine has been devised wherein provision is made for relieving the parts of torque strains, providing for the sub-division of the load of material into smaller masses, and including a novel air circulating system whereby all of the load is subjected to a substantially uniform dryi'ng. Furthermore, the construction makes possible the use of an extra heavy shaft which is protected from corrosion by an enclosure hub of ,non-corrodible material. Also, th shaft bearings are located remote from and out of contact with the washing liquid and heated air so bearing break-downs are all practical purposeseliminated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A laundry machine comprising a fixed cylinder having a door for access to the interior thereof, two partitions dividing said cylinder into two end compartments and an intermediate compartment, a shell peripherally perforated havin an access opening, a perforated door for controlling said opening, said shell being located in said intermediate compartment, a shaft extending axiall of said shell to project into the respective end compartments, bearing means in the respective end compartments for journalling said shaft, open end tubular trunnions attached to the respective ends of said shell, each trunnion having supporting spokes and a hub keyed to said shaft, a closed chamber in each end compartment having communication with the outer end of .the adjacent trunnion, a perforated tube concentrically mounted in spaced relation about said shaft. means for causing said tube to rotate with said shaft, and conduit means for circulating heated air in a path formed by said cylinder, said chambers, said trunnions, said tube, and said shell. I

2. A laundry machine comprising a fixed cylinder having a door for access to the interior thereof, two partitions dividing said cylinder into 1 two end compartments and an intermediate com-.

partment, a shell peripherally perforated'having an access opening, a perforated door for controlling said opening, said shell being locate n said intermediate compartments. shaft extending axially of said shell to project into the respective end compartments, bearing means in the respective end compartments for journalling said shaft, open end tubular trunnions attached to the respective ends of said shell, each trunnion having supporting spokes and a hub keyed to said shaft, a closed chamber in each end compartment having communication with the outer end of the adjacent trunnion, a perforated tube concentrically mounted in spaced relation about said shaft, two radiallydisposed screens interconnected between said shell and tube to provide two load receiving chambers, means for causing said tube to rotate with said shaft, and conduit means for circulating heated air into a path formed by said cylinder, said chamber, said trunnions, said tube, and said shell.

3. A laundry machine comprising a fixed cylinder having a door for access to the interior thereof, two partitions dividing said cylinder into two end compartments and an intermediate compartment, a shell peripherall perforated having an access opening, a perforated door for controlling said opening, said shell being located in said intermediate compartment, a shaft extending axially of said shell to project into the respective end compartments, bearing means in the respective end compartments for journalling said shaft, open end tubular trunnions attached to the respective ends of said shell, each trunnion having supporting spokes and a hub keyed to said shaft, a closed chamber in each end compartment having communication with the outer end of the adjacent trunnion, a perforated tube concentrically mounted in spaced relation about said shaft, a hub of non-corrodible material encircling said shaft and keyed thereon, means for supporting said tube on said hub, and conduit means for circulating heater air in a path formed by said cylinder, said chambers, said trunnions, said tube, and said shell.

4. A laundry machine comprising a fixed cylinder having a door for access to the interior thereof, two partitions dividing said cylinder into two end compartments and an intermediate compartment, a shell peripherally perforated having an access opening, a perforated door for controlling said opening, said shell being located in said intermediate compartment, a shaft extending axially of said shell to project into the respective end compartments, bearing means in the respective end compartments for journalling said shaft, open end tubular trunnions attached to the respective ends of said shell, each trunnion having supporting spokes and a hub .keyed to said shaft, a closed chamber in each end compartment having communication with the outer end of the adjacent trunnion, a perforated tube concentrically mounted in spaced relation about said shaft, means for causing said tube to rotate with said shaft, a hub encircling said shaft and keyed thereon, two radially disposed screens connected to said shell, means for connecting said screens to said hub, and conduit means for circulating heated air in a path formed by said cylinder, said chambers, said trunnions, said tube,

. and said shell.

- inder having a door for access to the interior thereof, two partitions dividing said cylinder into two end compartments and an intermediate compartment, a shell peripherally perforated having an access opening. a perforated door for controlling said opening, said axially or said shell to project into the respective end compartments, bearing means in the respective end compartments for journalling said shell being located in said intermediate compartment, a shaft extending for circulating heated air in a path formed can:

by and cylinder, said chambers, said trunnions, said tube, and said shell. 1

EDWARD R. GOULD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the die of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 677,787 Mey July 2, 1901 1,453,711 Hoting May 1, 1923 1,655,514 Seifert Jan. 10, 1928 1,762,594 Selfert June 10, 1930 1,086,548 Wolff Jan. 1, 1935 2,016,552 -,McCreery Oct. 8, 1935 2,098,066 Slbson, Jr Nov. 2, 1937 2,316,669

-Busi Apr. 13, 1943 

